Tara
Wilson
Assistant
Instructor/Trainer – Centaur Riding School
January
2008
I’ve
had a passion for horses all my life. Of course it helped growing up with a trainer as a mom which had me up on a horse before
I could walk.
When
I was a young child my mother, Susan Abel-Cohen, currently owner and head instructor and trainer of Centaur Riding School,
was operating a Saddlebred breeding and training facility in Colorado and later in Oklahoma. So I grew up around Saddle Horses
learning to ride on her old brood mares and lesson horses.
When
my mother returned to one of her original disciplines, Hunters and Jumpers when we relocated to Florida, I began showing on
the flat and over fences and started bringing home the ribbons. When we moved to North Carolina to manage Centaur Farms, we
added Dressage, Combined Training and Horse Trials to our show schedule. It was a natural transition for my mom, having schooled
in dressage and stadium jumping with U.S. Olympic rider, Violet Hopkins, as a young adult and for myself having schooled with
her all my life.
At
Centaur Farms, I assisted my mother with all facets of barn management, equine care and training and instructing. We bought
several young thoroughbreds off the track, back-yard pets and problem horses and brought them along to show successfully with
consistency, patience and TLC. I showed through the Training Level division.
We
then moved to Michigan to manage a larger facility, Kentree Equestrian Park, an 80 stall barn with a 200' indoor ring, 400'
x 400' outdoor ring, dressage ring and 10 acre field course. We held more shows than any other West Michigan facility attracting
competitors from four states to include Dressage, Hunter/Jumper, Open, Breed, CT and 3-Phase shows. I continued to compete
successfully and assist in training and lessons.
I
competed in my high school equestrian team which my mother coached. I showed western, saddleseat, bareback, huntseat equitation,
horsemanship and speed and action. All three years our team made Regionals and qualified to go to State one year and placed
13th out of close to 50 teams. Not bad for a small rural team with mostly students with back-yard horses. I collected
the most points for our team overall competing in saddleseat classes and jumping. I took fourth place over fences with a small
half Arab/QH against huge Thoroughbreds and Warm-bloods.
Following
college I returned to riding and training at a warm-blood facility in Michigan and some western riding and training in Arizona.
Last year I moved to Lawrenceville Georgia to resume assisting my mom at Centaur Riding School as an instructor and trainer.
I currently have a weekday job and teach on weekends only.
I
sincerely enjoy teaching all level students from beginners through advanced and try to make lessons as safe and fun as possible.
We
welcome you to join Team-Centaur!
Tara
Wilson
